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TribLIVE.com Team

Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said coach Paul Chryst never asked for an adjustment to his contract and never wavered from his commitment to the university while his name was linked to the vacant Wisconsin job.

“We never had those kinds of (contract) conversations,” Pederson said. “That was not the discussion we had surrounding any of this. The discussions centered on him wanting to be here.”

Despite a second consecutive 6-6 season, Pederson said he's pleased with the direction the program is headed under Chryst.

“I can't imagine feeling more optimistic about where we are headed than I am right now,” he said. “We have the right (coach), a terrific staff, players doing the things they are asking them to do and we are doing a good job of recruiting.”

Pederson said he was with Chryst repeatedly this week, and his thinking remained the same while speculation surfaced about Chryst leaving for Wisconsin.

“He was committed to Pitt and never wavered on that,” Pederson said. “I appreciated the kind of person he is and the consistency in the way he approaches everything he does.

“We love having him, and we would like him to be here for a long, long time.”

Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can reached at jdipaola@tribweb.com or 412-320-7997.

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